malbsMd saves G2 from quarter-final exit

The number one team in the world has stood the test of the #8 team HEROIC in the quarter-final of the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024, as G2 proceed to the semi-finals, reverse-sweeping their way to the final four of the first Counter-Strike Major in Asia.

The Bo3 kicked off on HEROIC's pick of Ancient, where a red-hot 9-0 start from NiKo to give G2 a 3-0 start. Despite starting in a deficit, HEROIC clawed their way back in the half off some well timed A-hits from kyxsan, as they found a 7-5 lead. In the second half, G2 fell flat on the T-side, and ended up losing by a 6-13 margin.

The second map Nuke, saw a similar narrative unfold in the first half, as HEROIC took 7 rounds to their name on the T-side. Losing the second pistol added salt to the wound, as HEROIC was suddenly staring at a 8-5 lead. However, a late game awakening from NiKo, aided by m0NESY brought G2 back into the game to clinch a 13-9 victory.

Source: PGL

The final map was Mirage, that saw malbsMd step in the absence of the regular stars as the Guatemalan stepped up to keep G2 in the map in a tight decider. G2 could've closed it in regulation but an intuitive 1v2 from degster on the A site made sure HEROIC kept themselves in the game. In overtime though, it was all malbsMd, with a clean 1v3 propelling G2 to a 16-13 win to reverse sweep the series 2-1.

The win sees G2 move into the semi-finals of the Shanghai Major 2024 and they will take on the winner of the last quarter-final, which will have Vitality take on FaZe.

Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024

Bo3

2 - 1

HEROIC

All maps

G2	K - D	+/-	ADR	KAST	Rating 3.0
Nikola 'NiKo' Kovač	65 - 47	+18	100.5	70.0%	1.35
Ilya 'm0NESY' Osipov	56 - 42	+14	82.4	82.9%	1.28
Mario 'malbsMd' Samayoa	55 - 46	+9	76.0	70.0%	1.23
Janusz 'Snax' Pogorzelski	34 - 46	-12	62.5	71.4%	0.85
Nemanja 'huNter-' Kovač	34 - 44	-10	55.6	68.6%	0.79

HEROIC	K - D	+/-	ADR	KAST	Rating 3.0
Abdul 'degster' Gasanov	49 - 44	+5	71.6	64.3%	1.07
René 'TeSeS' Madsen	49 - 52	-3	75.5	67.1%	1.04
Guy 'NertZ' Iluz	53 - 51	+2	84.0	65.7%	1.01
Rasmus 'sjuush' Beck	35 - 49	-14	66.9	70.0%	0.89
Damjan 'kyxsan' Stoilkovski	36 - 53	-17	60.1	64.3%	0.85